1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hood apparatus for a vehicle in which a deformation stroke of the hood member is ensured by lifting up a hood member.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an automobile, generally, an engine is placed on an engine room whose top portion is opened. The automobile has a hood apparatus for a vehicle. The hood apparatus for a vehicle has a hood member covering the opening of the engine room, and a lifting mechanism lifting up the hood member when the hood member is opened. The lifting mechanism has a link mechanism, a gas spring, or the like. The link mechanism links the hood member and the opening edge of the engine room together, and makes the hood member be able to be raised up from and brought down to, the opening edge. The gas spring urges the hood member upward.
On the other hand, in an automobile in which an engine room is positioned at the front side, in a case of a collision from the front end portion of the vehicle body, or the like, there are cases in which an impact force due to the collision is inputted from the top surface of the hood member. However, an engine and various auxiliary machinery for the engine are disposed under the hood member, and a space between the hood member and the engine or the like is narrow. Therefore, because a deformation stroke of the hood member cannot be sufficiently ensured, it is difficult to sufficiently buffer the impact force inputted to the hood member. Therefore, the impact force applied to the hood member should be effectively buffered.
For example, in a hood apparatus for a vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3377763, in order to effectively buffer an impact force added to the hood member, a springing-up mechanism springing up the hood member by a predetermined amount is separately dedicatedly provided. The springing-up mechanism increases a space between the hood member and the engine or the like by springing up the hood member when an impact force is inputted to the front end portion of the vehicle body due to a collision or the like. In accordance therewith, a deformation stroke of the hood member is more ensured. Therefore, the impact force added to the hood member is buffered.
However, the hood apparatus for a above-described needs a spring-up mechanism, provided independently of a lifting mechanism to spring up the hood member. Therefore, the structure of the hood apparatus for a vehicle is made complicated, and the cost of the hood apparatus for a vehicle is made to be high.